#but I get to see skinks in random bushes so who am I to be pissed about that. skinks rule
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frog documentation. frogcumentation
I think I mentioned a while back I'd post nibling frog momence after the gift's done given. which happened on the 2nd this month I just forgot lmao. anyways we can do it now. I used the boigameista pattern scaled up to four pieces of A4 print paper and decided to double deck it to a two layer thing, not unlike a pillow, for ease of washin. because it was gonna be gifted to a one year old child
took a long time and made a number of mistakes bc hand sewing makes me worse as a person but this guy was done in time for the birthday occasion and that's what matters. chose non-fuzzy fabrics for it because we live in a dense city in the tropics and from personal experience if I hug something made of fur I would explode. the original plan included felt patterns on its back for bonus textures for baby but that wouldn't stretch well along with the rest of the thing so had to hold that back. eventually we got this
zipper across its ass, the coat type of zipper bc I miscalculated when ordering. but it did have a shape and that's all that matters to me. will be a fun game for the baby to grow up and be severely misinformed about what a frog looks like
happy extremely late birthday to this thing also
#bakuspecial#uhhhh. whats my craft tag. I forgor. update this later#frog plush babeyyyy#I want this thing to last until the heat death of the universe so I felled all the seams down. dont recommend doing this by hand#Im so stubborn lmao I refuse to get a serger I will simply get better at hand sewing instead. damn its taking kinda long#there used to be a Lot more frogs around hanoi. but the lack of clean water ponds and lakes have driven down the population#I live like right at the edge of the city rn tho (will no longer be the case in five years) so there are still a lot of aminals#house robins. skinks. fireflies (!!!!). praying mantises. tree frogs#they love to hang out at the fountain inside the complex right across the street. had to pick em up to return to the fountain#from the hot brick tiled ground a few times#theyre so small. theyre so small....#I miss house geckos they dont show up a lot in our apartment. I wish they would they would love the cockroaches around here#and of course. bc the kind of rice we eat is more short-grained and thus usually not all the way dried like the longer-grained type we have#so many rice weevils. do u know those little fucks do not drown for a Long time#do u know they lay eggs inside the rice grains and that's how u find out ur rice about to become the weevil beverly hill#by washing the rice and seeing hollowed out grains float up. I have become an expert at this.#but I get to see skinks in random bushes so who am I to be pissed about that. skinks rule#this has been baku talks about animals for a mile of tags. thank u for listening#well. its evening and the family wants to go out so that's what we're doin. hope u have a good time too wherever u are#see u this midnight when I reblog every new posts I've made in the last week or so lmao
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Core
Shine made a star and tossed it at the creature, it exploded, making the creature fall onto it's back. Shade ran out to try and finish it when a much, much larger version of the bird flew down to protect it's young.
ZM
"whoop, that's bad news." with indigo magic she got to shade quickly and pulled him out of the way just as the mom bird was about to close it's beak around him. with the sudden stop of motion shade was flung away from chara a bit and hits a tree as he's not used to that. "what a pretty bird~"
"the baby was kinda ugly but that grown up is majestic." her eyes sparkle.
Core
(this is mom)
ZM
(hi mom~)
Core
Shade got to his feet, Shine ducked back to the bushes. Shade growled
(this is baby)
ZM
(k i take it back, the baby's not ugly lol he looks like a good boi) "shade, this is what we call a tactical error haha! ideas?" she watches the birds carefully as the mom starts to come over to them
Core
The mother kept her young underneath her, as she screeched at them, Shine blindly threw a star, it going in the bird's mouth,
ZM
it explodes in her mouth and the bird falls to the ground. unclear if the shock made it pass out or if it blew her brains out. chara whistles. "nice throw shine" she goes over not caring about the baby that much.
Core
The mother swung her head, hitting Chara, part of the mother's beak had blown off
ZM
she is hit away but lands on her feet. "well that's no way to live, with that you'll starve to death. now we haveta kill you" she makes a knife and throws it into the wound worsening the crack.
Core
The bird screeched, Shade ran in, sinking his fangs into the birds neck
ZM
chara jumped up and lands on the bird's head she made a heavy mallet way bigger than herself and slammed it down into it's forehead.
Core
The mother fell, dead.
ZM
she pats her hands on her shorts as the mallet disappears and leaves residue on them "cool. the baby's yours you two." she hops down and cartwheels happily as her lv goes higher
Core
Shine looked at the baby, "I'm sorry." She said, Shade struggled getting out of under the mother
ZM
she lays on the ground watching a little bit warn out.
Core
Shade got out from underneath. Shine nuzzled the baby
ZM
"shine, we're not making friends here. you just helped to kill it's mother. it hates you."
Core
"B-But I d-d-idn't mean to.... I thought we were still playing."
ZM
"no, not right now."
Core
Shine looked at the baby. "I'm gonna keep him."
ZM
chara chokes on her spit. "excuse me??? " she sits up. "how do you expect to feed it or just take care of it in general???"
Core
"I dunno, But he is mine now." She said hugging the baby's neck.
ZM
"shade. talk sense into your sister. now."
Core
"If you can think of a name then you c-"
"skink." Shine said
ZM
she goes over to them. "no." she glares
Core
"I named him, I can keep him now." Shine said. Shade just shrugged.
ZM
"i hate to always be the 'bad guy' but." she goes over to the baby ready to slash and kill it.
Core
Shade formed his shield
Skink fluttered his wings, unable to fly yet
ZM
"haha. yeah sure shade. that's not going to stop me." she glances to shine to see if she'll do something to save her bird.
Core
"E-easy Skink." She calmed the bird
ZM
"no pets aloud unless you know what the hell they are." she makes a sword and hits shade's shield pushing him back a bit.
Core
Shade dug his feet into the dirt, pushing back. "Skink is skink, there!" "Actually they are called banshees." A voice said.
ZM
chara pushes shade away and almost cracks his shield as the green from gradient's soul shines through the sword for a second. shade falls against the bird. "who's there?" she looks around
Core
She saw a star in one of the giant trees. She had turquoise hair, a pair of white feathered wings and a tan scarf around her next. (achievement unlocked: Find Ink)
ZM
(haha yay!) she recognizes her as vanta looked like her before. "are you ink?" she turns to her.
Core
"That is correct, miss Dreemurr
ZM
she cringes at the name. "you're a hard one to find. what brings you here." she glares back at shine as to tell her to kill the damn bird.
Core
Shine shook her head no. "I made this world, I might as well stay in it." Ink responded, her eyes glowing as the mother healed
ZM
she shakes her head as the bird heals
shade uncovers his arm and sees it's seared were chara hit. he touches it gingerly and it's plenty painful
Core
Shade hissed at this burn, Shine looks at it
"Well, the two are just kits, and you expect them to deal with a full grown leonoptryx, you've caused so much damage and expect everyone else to follow the rules? Rather naive if you want my opinion."
ZM
(hehe)"yoooo, i've not broken any rules yet! what are you on about?" chara sneers. i didn't expect them to take down the mom! just the kid! we're training."
Core
"You don't think traveling to different alternate timelines, causing damage and trauma is breaking the rules?" Ink asked, "And as for training, there are much better opponents for kits their age."
ZM
"i'd say not! hey, i'm not messing with code. i just have some powerful 'friends'. and what do you expect them to do? they won't brawl and everyone that would help is on a much higher level than them."
she goes over to the mom and watches as it's beak reforms
Core
Ink's eyes glowed as the mother picked up her young and flew off. "a bone general would be a good start." She said as a skeleton with blue armor and a sword formed. Shine started crying because Skink was gone
ZM
chara hates the sound of crying and holds one ear. "shine please, your bird is better off with it's mom." chara climbs up to where ink is. "so you have kits?"
Core
"That is none of your concern." Ink said, making a smaller version of skink, one the size of a house cat, to get Shine to stop crying
ZM
"one: would you stop spoiling my kits, two: one of your kits destroys the universe so it is my concern. three: who the hell is the other parent. or did you just poof them to existence like that little monster down there?"
Core
"one; I am not spoiling them. Two, Gradient is not technically my kit. Three, I cannot reproduce, so I simply create." Ink said, watching as Shade used his arm-blade against the monster, which blocked with it's shield
ZM
"whatever. you still made her. who are her siblings?" she asks more like a demand.
Core
(she's a lot different than the original, huh?) "I created Fallacy for Gradient to bond to, kits need something to bond with, normally it is the mother, if the mother is unable to care for them, a sibling should suffice, if the kit thinks the sibling could leave at any time, or sees that kit retreat to their core, they will try to quickly find something else to bond with, in your case, the male is bonded with the female, and the female to the banshee. Which tells me the male kit has had to retreat to his core, correct?"
ZM
"woah. that's fkn weird." she kicks her feet around. "well yeah you're right, but he was only out for like... 5 minutes."
Core
"Doesn't matter, that trust can break within seconds, you want to keep them stable, keep those bonds."
ZM
(oh and yeah she sure is different than other ink, it's kinda jarring haha) "yuck"
"i don't want to be a parent."
"kay fine, say i only need one, and i have it bond to me or shatter. that'd work fine right?"
Core
"Then you shouldn't have started your plan, and as for your question, the more bonds that are broken, the less likely they are to bond again, which would lead to aggressive or possible feral behavior." Ink explained as Shade dusted the monster
ZM
"excuse me a second." she hops a ways a way and starts swearing continuously at the top of her lungs followed by a frustrated yell. she slowly makes her way back with the kits looking at her like she's lost it. "cheating would be a lot easier." She says to ink
Core
"But there is no fun in a game with out a challenge." Ink said, spawning a purple spirit monster for Shine to fight against.
ZM
(okay, also shimp chara)
"by this point i just want to win."
Core
"The longer you wait however, the sweeter the victory." Ink said, watching Shine
ZM
"i wanna live my days at the top of the world with no one to stop me"
"not, getting there."
Core
Then you should have stayed in your world, you had a choice, you decided to enter ours, so now you have to play the game."
ZM
she mutters "i wouldn't really call it a choice." she looks at ink "is it worth it to go with my plan even if i somehow loose and am trapped to serve one of those kids forever?"
Core
"Well that depends, my creator seeks to impress yours, so she may try to show off, if you will. With that in mind, she will make the game much more complex, enough so that logic doesn't apply, chances are however, she'll kill off her own creations like she normally does." Ink explained, as Shine defeated the ghost
ZM
"woah, you talk to the creators? crazy. be that as it may i suppose i'll just have to keep up my determination hm?" she looks over to shine who got an lv. a little confused how all the sudden she's not bonded with shade. she couldn't imagine that happening with her and asriel.
Core
Shine smiled, snuggling Skink
ZM
"well ink, i think gradient wanted to meet you? maybe i'm wrong but you should go check on her either way." she hops down from the tree.
Core
"I have no interest in meeting a variant, if you so desire, I can watch these two."
ZM
she thinks that over. “why would you do that for me? i'm just some random chara you know."
Core
"Is it that absurd to also be intrigued by your little game?" Ink replied coldly.
ZM
she's silent for a second studying her response. "know what? i don't like you. so that's a no." she turns on her heel and goes to the kits. she checks them both including their lv.
Core
Shade was at level 15, Shine at 12
"not too shabby in all honesty, assumptions are being made but can a star's lv be maxed out? perhaps at 100?" she asks them
Core
"No, it can go higher, though it takes much, much longer." Ink explained.
ZM
"hmm i see," she checks her own soul that's only on 10 at this point. she puts it away and ushers the kids up and to go back to the bubble. "so ink. don't mess with the kits please, this is a delicate operation and i don't need any distractions."
Core
"I won't, it's more interesting to just watch."
ZM
"i'll hold you to that" she waves her hand through the unstable part of space where the bubble left them and goes back to shatter. tonic looks at chara warily and goes up to them all apparently growing some nerve. tonic sits infront of them. "i only want to help, chara. i am unsure why you dislike me but at least let me be of some use to you when you need?" chara shakes her head "i'm a stubborn mule, just stay out of my way and your precious little feelings wont get hurt." tonic lets out a huff and goes over to the kits despite chara's protest. "what did you two experience out there?" tonic asks
Core
Shine showed Tonic Skink. "I made a new friend!"
Shade looked at Chara with a slight glare
ZM
tonic smiles "aw, it looks very pleasant" tonic was unsure of what it was but it didn't matter that much to them. "is there something wrong shade?"
Core
"They're up to something, but I'm not sure what..." Shade mumbled
ZM
"are you referring to chara?" they cock their head to the side
Core
"Yeah." Shade said sitting down next to Tonic.
Core
Shine was showing Skink to Dusk, who smiled at the bird
ZM
she looks to chara who is chatting with Olympia she mulls over if she should tell him her intentions, or if their loyalties belong more to chara. seeing as chara won't let tonic help they decide to help the kits instead. "um, yes she does have a plan"
Core
'Well, it isn't wise to trust Ink, she tends to look more for herself than others.' Olympia told Chara. "Do you know what it is? If she's going to hurt Shine I need to know." Shade said to Tonic.
ZM
"yes is would involve your sister. she plans to take both of your soulstones and control them after bonding with you. what will you do about it? you'll get yourself killed if you're reckless."
ZM
"no duh," chara says "in all honesty i hope to never see her again, i kinda feel bad for gradient tho"
Core
"We both know that I don't care if I get killed, as long as Shine is safe." Shade said, trying to think of what to do. 'About her, she really shouldn't be here, I'm honestly not sure but something just tells me that she isn't supposed to be alive.' Olympia acknowledged Chara, looking over at Gradient who was talking, or at least trying to talk with a split of Shatter that chara didn't recognize.
ZM
"i see," tonic stays quiet letting him think after a while they start again "perhaps if you get strong enough to fight her that would be the easiest course of action?" chara looks at gradient as well. "well i mean yeah, her whole world was empty, but i just thought she deserves to get another chance at life. you have a bad feeling about her?"
Core
"Maybe," Shade said Olympia nodded. 'Some things are not meant to be.' (Only one of Shatter's splits has her soulstone)
ZM
(hmm which one?) "should we inform shine?" chara folds her arms. "maybe so but i'm not giving up on her just yet."
Core
(The one that is gonna get rid of gradient.) "No, not yet." Shade muttered. Olympia sighed, looking over to gradient and the split Chara didn't know. The split had grey hair and pale, somewhat fogged over eyes, her mouth was sewn shut.
ZM
tonic quiets again, chara doesn't like olympia's tone so she goes over to check on gradient. "hey you two, how's it hanging?"
Core
"o-oh everything is fine." Gradient smiled softly
ZM
"mmhm." not convinced she looks at the split "so whore you? ghost type? dark?"
Core
The split shook her head for both questions, unable to speak
ZM
she pouts a bit, "normal? ground? steel?"
Core
She nodded at normal, she didn't seem to make eye contact either.
ZM
she makes a confused face turning to gradient "why are you hanging out with her of all the people around?"
Core
"She seems t-the least s-scary."
ZM
she takes another look at the split. "yeah okay?" she doesn't get it, in fact this split is giving her the creeps.
Core
The split's mouth was sewn tightly shut, Olympia teleported over. Gradient seemed intimidated by Olympia
ZM
"hi oly," she gives a little wave. tonic speaks up to shade, "we might be able to convince shatter to help us, she's not happy with chara's plan."
Core
"Which one is Shatter?" Shade asked. 'Her name is Scarlett.' Olympia said to Chara
ZM
"okay hey scarlett, i'll ask again, are you messing with gradient? i'm not trusting shatter's opinion on her."
"shatter is all of them combined." she informs
Core
Scarlett shook her head and pointed to her ears, showing she was only listening. "Really? that sounds kinda cool.”
ZM
tonic nods happily "yes it is cool." chara purses her lips, "you don't mind me listening as well?" she asked gradient.
Core
"O-of course n-not." Gradient smiled. "I bet that means they all care about you, huh?"
ZM
tonic scans all the shatter sisters and lightly shrugs, " i have not talked to all of them one on one so i'm unsure." chara smiles back and sits on the ground.
Core
Gradient went back to talking about all sorts of weird plants, called solar lilies. "Why don't you do that?"
ZM
tonic tilts their head. "you wish for me to do that right now?" chara's enjoying the bit of peace for however short she might cut it.
Core
Scarlett started undoing the string that kept her mouth shut. "Sure." Shade shrugged.
ZM
"okay," tonic turns rubbing their face with the back of their hand and goes over to scarlett seeing she's going to start talking.
Core
Scarlett then whispered something to Gradient before starting to sew her mouth shut again. "I'm s-sorry but I c-could just barely hear you..."
ZM
chara's content just sitting there even when tonic trots over sitting by gradient.
Core
(guess what) Gradient soon went back to talking.
ZM
(what what?) tonic's curiosity of what scarlett just said is gnawing at them. she looks at olympia as if asking for an explanation.
Core
(Scarlett used Perish Song) Olympia stayed silent, as if her mind was preoccupied by something else
ZM
(oh lord >:O dang it scarlet. i was so confused for a second i thought parish song was a ghost move but very wrong i am) tonic fidgets with her hands turning to gradient instead "um- what... what did scarlett whisper to you?"
Core
Gradient was about to answer when her eyes went dull and she turned to dust.
ZM
chara jolts up hearing scarlett's lv raise. seeing the pile of dust she hops to her feet and instantly goes for scarlett's neck with her newly formed knife. "ARE YOU KIDDING ME!"
Core
Scarlett used protect as a bubble pushed Chara away, keeping Scarlett safe
ZM
tonic looked at the pile with no soulstone to be seen in shock. confused by shatter would do that. chara rubs her nose as she's pushed back as soon as the bubble goes down she goes to stab her in the gut hoping that if scarlett goes for another protect it fails. (gotta go bye(
Core
Scarlett got up and moved so quickly it looked like a blur. she was very fast.
ZM
chara growls in a low register and goes after olympia instead trying to pin her down with magic "what the heck man!? why'd you do it!"
Core
‘I already explained to you why.’ Olympia replied, teleporting
ZM
chara grunts irritated, looking back over to scarlett "well crap oly, why do you let me live here than? get your mind in the right way of thinking cause i 'plan' on destroying this world a lot worse than gradient would have!"
"I don't get you at all!" she whines, tonic is a little confused as well.
Core
‘Actually it’s not, your plan won’t alter the code of the timeline, while Gradient’s presence did.’ Olympia then explained. ‘It’s a matter of stability’
ZM
"ah? hahah moku has other plans, is that another reason why you took me away from nightmare's group?" she turns to face her again. "why is the code where you put the line you're not willing to cross?"
Core
‘Because we have seen what happens when timelines collapse, and it isn’t favorable.’ Olympia explained.
ZM
"pfft, sure." she rubs her head giving up on fighting "well she's dead anyway now not much i can do but reset, i have a feeling you'll get around me somehow and kill her either way."
Core
‘She just can’t stay here, there is already an ion cube here,’ Olympia said.
ZM
"there's a bunch of ion cubes somewhere in the multiverse. but whateverrr," she pauses. " I want to go see killer,"
tonic takes some of gradient's dust and stores it.
Core
Olympia sighed and opened a portal
ZM
"thanks!" she hops through and finds killer still hung against the wall.
Core
Horror was teasing Killer about being stuck
ZM
"hi horror," she goes up to them. "nice to see you're still hanging around killz~"
Core
"Oh f*ck off." Killer hissed before Horror destroyed the wall, freeing Killer
ZM
chara giggles, "ya know it's not nice to try to kill your friends."
Core
"I don't have any friends." Killer hissed, Horror whispered to Chara, "she says that yet she hasn't killed you yet." Horror snickered.
ZM
"i know right?" she whispers back with a grin. "can't fool me, horror's your friend, so are the other's. you'd be a mess without them."
Core
"I literally can
't kill Horror, I've tried." Killer said with a hiss, getting her knife
ZM
"doesn't mean you don't like her!"
Core
"I don't, she's obnoxious, annoying and the only reason she hangs out with me is because I am the only one who tolerates her!" Horror shrugged. "You ain't wrong."
ZM
"hey that sounds like me haha, you like annoying people it seems. there's nothing wrong with enjoying someone's company ya know"
Core
"I don't." Killer hissed, putting the blade in her pocket.
ZM
"actions speak louder than words killz~" noticing her standing down
Core
"Stuff it, the element of surprise is gone." Killer hissed.
ZM
"you're acting like an edgy teenager that's rebelling against your own nature. and granted, i don't know what's really going on in your head, if you hate me or horror or not. but, i do know i still consider you one of my best friends," she shrugs "so here i am."
Core
“That’s really a mistake.” Killer sighed, walking out of the castle
ZM
chara looks to horror wondering what she'll do
Core
Horror shrugged. “Wanna see something cool?”
ZM
"uuuuuuuuhh mayyyybe?" she takes a step back
Core
Horror went to the window and jumped out, hitting the rocks below with a splat
ZM
she looks down at her mangled body "well damn, that looked like it felt good." she climbs out the window and joins horror on the ground poking a mushy area of her mangled body with her foot.
Core
Horror slowly regenerated, her body fixing itself
ZM
"must say, that was indeed cool"
Core
“Told ya.” She said, standing up.
ZM
"yes you did." she hums to herself "yo, so what do you think about LJ?"
Core
“She’s fun.” Horror smiled
ZM
"is she one of your favorites to be around? I don't see you around her much"
Core
“Well she’s unstable sometimes and Nightmare is kinda protective of her.” Horror explained
ZM
"unstable how?" She tilts her head and kicks around the dirt under her finding a rock to pickup
Core
“She’ll get all twitchy and starts to babble stuff, all while laughing.” Horror said
ZM
"fair, I thought you might enjoy her ramblings so I thought I'd ask. but night is indeed protective, hmmm you know what would be fun?" she finds one and picks it up "I wanna get the kits to try and mess with LJ and killz. Maybe change their perceptions on life, It'd be good mental training. Know what? Yeah I'ma do that." She calls for shatter.
Core
Olympia opened a portal, surprising the crap out of Horror
ZM
"heyo~" she hops in the portal and goes up to the kits. "New mission, you two ready?"
Core
"Can I bring Skink? Please? Dusk taught me how to train him!" Shine begged.
ZM
"sure whatever" she's not thrilled but is going to deal with it.
Core
Shine smiled and brought the creature in her arms. Shade glared at Chara before walking
ZM
they go back out to horror "have you met the kids? they were dream's" she asks
Core
"Are you gonna eat them?" Horror asked, acting like the kits were fries and not living things
ZM
"hahah nah, and you don't get to eat them either."
Core
Horror raised a brow, "Is this supposed to be a joke?"
ZM
"nope, what do you mean by that?"
Core
"If you aren't gonna eat them, I am." Horror said, "They're food, food is for eating."
ZM
"ahem, no, they aren't food, do you consider yourself food? they're just like you ya know"
Core
"They're an easy meal, genocides are opportunists eaters, I am not one who is gonna pass up a meal." Horror crossed her arms
ZM
"haha, you totally ignored my question, but ey," she shrugs. "point is, touch them and your gonna die a thousand times over. there's plenty of meat around for you without these two."
Core
Horror growled slightly tapping her foot. "I think I know why Killer doesn't like you, you're no fun..."
ZM
"pffffff think what you want hon. do you wantta join us messing with LJ and killer or not?" she folds her arms
Core
"Yeah, yeah." Horror rolled her eye
ZM
"kay," she looks back at the portal which is now closed. she starts walking to the broken city with the kits "you guys wanna race?" she looks over at them.
Core
Shine nodded happily. Shade shrugged
ZM
"sweet," she stretches a little and coats her feet in indigo doing the same to the kids. "ready? "
Core
Shade looked at his feet in confusion, Shine nodded happily
ZM
"go!" she heads off quickly assuming the kits to have a hard time getting adjusted as she moves backwards to watch them.
Core
Shine started moving like a skater, keeping balance, Shade jumped
ZM
chara's pleased with how fast they caught on. they go through the dusty area and are nearing the city. she looks over to see horror wondering what if she is following.
Core
Horror grumbled slightly as she trotted on over
ZM
chara slides across the dirt to stop herself by the clock tower. coughing and waving the dust away.
Core
"Double, double disco queen, heading to the guillotine." She could hear
ZM
she looks around for her
Core
LJ was in the on the roof of a building.
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There have been strange stories that I have heard from time to time during my travels, and one of the bizarre ones is the mention of "living rocks." People speak of stones and boulders that move on their own, without the hand of man or beast. Entire landscapes will change overnight, and rock formations will seemingly disappear without a trace. Some say it is the act of ghosts and spirits, those who died on mountains or in canyons. Others suggest a godly force, though this omnipotent being's motive is quite unknown. Regardless of what they believe, they shall speak wonders about these supposedly "living rocks" and will puzzle over them as if they were a great mystery. Whenever I hear this, I immediately bring up the fact that there are at least a dozen species of animals that look like rocks, and another dozen or so that wear rocks like armor. That is not even mentioning golems, who are quite literally piles of stone that can walk on their own. For changing landscapes and vanishing boulders, I would direct my suspicions towards trolls. A hungry troll in search of tasty minerals can easily knock things around or just pick up a slab of rock and wander off into the night. It's just one of these bizarre moments where it seems like nobody even thinks about things for more than a second, or bother to even learn about the world around them. When it comes to mountains and canyons, there are numerous species that look to disguise themselves with the scenery, and that often means looking like a rock. It would make much more sense that a Hammerbird was nesting somewhere during the first viewing and then ran off in search of food before the second! Why must we immediately jump to the mystical and magical? It frustrates me, but that is not what I am going to be ranting about in this entry. Instead, this tantrum of mine is supposed to lead to one of the major culprits of these tales: Stone Chimneys. Funny enough, these creatures are probably going to be the closest anyone gets to a "living rock" (save for golems, but those are artificially made), as their bodies are made of collected stone chunks and are capable of slithering across the landscape. How is this possible? Why, it is because of the Slime that dwells within the core of this structure! Like any "subspecies" that involves Slimes, Stone Chimneys are not actually a unique species. Rather they are just Slimes that have taken on a certain lifestyle. If you were to peel off all the stone pieces, you would just get a plain old Slime. These variations arise mainly in rocky areas, like mountains, canyons and cliffs. They can be found in hot and cold environments, though they tend to avoid places that experience freezing temperatures at a frequent rate. The creation of a Stone Chimney begins with a Slime collecting pieces of rock in their pseudobody and using it to build a makeshift shell. Their gooey parts will help stick the chunks together and hold them in place, eventually creating a solid piece of armor. As they collect and build, their pseudobodies will be buried beneath the stony exterior. The only place you will notice their slime is near the bottom, as they create a "foot" that they use to slither and crawl on. Near this base is where tendrils can emerge, working as simple arms to grab new rock pieces or fleeing prey. The term "Stone Chimney" comes from the shape these variations often take. For whatever reason, they seem to always go for a tower-like formation, building upward into a single stony column. Other shapes have been seen, but they are quite rare. Perhaps they do this to look big and intimidating? Or maybe tower height is important when it comes to mate selection? No one is sure at the moment. I did try asking a few of them, but many don't bother with chit-chat and simple talk. The best answer I got from a non-Stone Chimney Slime was "well, it looks pretty cool." While I do agree with them, I find that answer a bit lacking. After a Stone Chimney has built up their armored tower, they shall slither across the land in the ceaseless pursuit of food. "Pursuit" may be the wrong word, as Stone Chimney's move quite slow. They are kind of like giant, rocky snails, as they seem to always be crawling at a constant, but sluggish, pace. This slow speed does not hinder them in any way, though, as Stone Chimney's often feed on immobile food sources. The main staples of their diet are lichens and moss, common things that grow on the boulders and rock that litter the landscape. As they slither along, they shall steer themselves so that their paths go over large patches of these growths. When their foot comes in contact with these foodstuffs, their slime will rip them up and scour the surface clean. They are then drawn up into the tower where they are ground up and digested. The nutrients are transferred to the heart and the Slime enjoys a nice meal! During their travels, Stone Chimneys will happily accept other sources of food, like carrion or live prey. While the mention of carnivory may cause one to worry about the safety of their own skin, you need not fret. Stone Chimneys mainly eat small critters that hide in burrows or under rocks. When they crawl over a hole in the ground, a bit of slime from the pseudobody will slither down to investigate. If there is a meaty morsel hiding within, it shall nab it and pull it up to the surface. If a marmot or skink tries to flee an approaching Stone Chimney, it shall launch out its tendrils in hopes of grabbing them in a sticky mitt. They do not seek large prey during their hunts, as they prefer the kind that are already dead. That, however, does not mean they won't eat something that died when they tried to defend themselves.
Though slow and lazy looking, Stone Chimneys should be treated with care. Like any animal, they do not like to feel threatened and they are quite wary about predators. Their layers of rock are already a sign of their caution, as they hide their vulnerable hearts deep within this armor. When a threat is detected, the Slime will retract its foot and seal itself within the tower structure. Every crevice will be locked shut so no predators or parasites may reach their slimy parts. If the attacker is large, the Stone Chimney may chose to fight back. If one gives their chimney a close look, you may notice various openings that dot its exterior. These mouth-like holes can be opened and sealed at will, and many believe they are used as sensory organs. When under attack, though, these openings can be used as a defense. By building pressure up within their pseudobody, Stone Chimneys can launch chunks of rock from these holes with devastating force. These goo wrapped missiles can hit like they were fired from a slingshot and can easily break bone. If fired at one's head, it can knock you out cold or give you one heck of a headache! This method of defense is often aimed towards larger attackers, and is commonly used against trolls. These giant geophages tend to be curious when they notice their food moving, so they come in for a closer look. Not wanting their armor to be ripped off and eaten, the Stone Chimney will spit at them to drive them away. Though dangerous to us folk, such attacks are mere annoyances to the burly trolls. In fact, trolls are often spooked by this display and will scamper off with little more than a faint bruise. What also helps with scaring off trolls is the gooey remains that are left behind after the spitting. When the troll regains its composure, it may grow curious about the rock the...rock spat at them. Their first thought will be to taste it and it will give them a mouthful of bitter slime. The foul taste will further deter the troll from trying to eat the Stone Chimney, as it will find it to be quite gross. Due to their slow lifestyle and simple diet, Stone Chimneys are often seen as part of the landscape rather than a separate creature. People note them like you would a thorny bush or poisonous flower: an interesting sight, but one you should keep a safe distance from. That, however, has not stopped people from trying to make use of them! Apparently, there are tales of certain folk who tried to use Stone Chimney's as treasure chests. A thickly armored creature that spat rocks at foes and didn't understand the concept of money, the perfect guard (that's what they were thinking, not me. I am quite aware how dumb this idea is)! So these people would take their sacks of gold, cover it in moss pieces and plant them in the path of a crawling chimney. The treasure would be sucked up and stored inside, as the Slime would first try to eat it and then would keep it as a neat trinket. The person would then mark the chimney in some way so they could tell which one had their gold. At first this seemed like a great idea, as the Stone Chimney attacked those who tried to steal the treasure and kept it safe beneath its rocky armor. Unfortunately, as time went on, people began to realize the problem with this method. The main one was retrieving said treasure, as the Stone Chimney didn't care about who rightfully owned the gold. Any who approached got a rock to the face. In other cases, the Stone Chimney would shed or replace the piece that held the identifying mark, causing the owner to lose track of which Slime had their treasure. Lastly, and a bit more amusing, was the random chance that the Slime would use the sack of gold as a projectile when it came to self-defense. Thieves, owners or even the occasional troll could possibly get the horde of treasure spat at their face at lightening speeds! Talk about a speedy return! You better hope your money isn't launched at a troll, as then you have to try to get that sticky gob off the hide of a frightened giant! That would be a hoot to see! Outside of that poor idea, Stone Chimney's have also been the star of some interesting stories. One was the tale of a great ruler who wished to have a "walking castle." He wanted a fortress that could march across his kingdom, allowing him to survey his land and befuddle attackers. He turned to the Stone Chimneys to achieve this dream, as they were already living towers. Legends say he gather hundreds of them together and built special shells for them to wear. When combined, they would make a castle that could move on its own, or that was at least the theory. Turns out that Stone Chimneys aren't social creatures, and they don't like being packed close to one another. One can't have a mighty fortress when every piece of it is trying to go in a different direction. Depending on who you ask, the story as a different ending. In one variation, the ruler was humiliated by this attempt and fled to the unknown to hide his shame. Others say he scaled down the project and tried to build a single massive tower. These stories claim that he finished this tower and walked inside so he could ride his creation. Unfortunately he failed to realize that when you cause dozens of Slimes to link up with one another, they grow into one massive amalgamation. At that size, their stomachs tend to seek larger prey than marmots and lizards. They say the tower still roams the land to this day, devouring any who seek shelter within it. On the note of towers and building, certain cultures believe that ancient Stone Chimneys taught humanity how to build the impressive castles and walls they have today. It was through their knowledge that humanity learned the ways of architecture and engineering. While I do admit that humans build some amazing structures, I chalk that up to their ingenuity and intelligence. I am not saying Slimes are dumb, but I don't think they taught humans how to build such things. I mean honestly, why would humans need some ancient, wizened species to teach them how to stack rocks? Chlora Myron Dryad Natural Historian ----------------------------------------------------- More Slime variations! What fun!
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